5 cricketers who were involved in murder cases

A cricketer’s actions are constantly under the public eye, whether on or off the field. While many have inspired millions with their game, a few have let down their reputations by getting involved in serious legal troubles, including murder charges. Some were accused of involvement in violent crimes, including abduction and murder, leading to serious legal battles and even being sentenced to death.

Here are the five cricketers who were defamed in India:

5. Leslie Hylton:

West Indies fast bowler Leslie Hylton, who played in the 1930s, became the first and still the only Test cricketer ever to be executed. Hylton married Lurline Rose in 1942, despite opposition from her upper-class family. Years later, after receiving news of her alleged affair with Roy Francis, Hylton confronted Lurline. Following a heated exchange, he fatally shot her seven times on May 6, 1954. After shooting his wife, he called the police.

In court, Hylton claimed provocation and lack of intent, supported by a letter from Lurline to her lover. But the jury, influenced by the number of shots and the judge’s decision, found him guilty of murder. His appeal and plea failed, and on May 17, 1955, he was hanged.

4. Vipin Giri:

Former Maharashtra Under-19 cricketer Vipin Giri was arrested for allegedly abducting and murdering 21-year-old Keshav, a resident of Jagriti Vihar, on November 9, 2012. According to Superintendent of Police Om Prakash Giri, along with three accomplices, Giri abducted Keshav, took him to Bulandshehar district, shot him, and dumped his body in a canal.

Giri, who was a neighbour of the deceased, and his driver Ankit had confessed to the criminal act during interrogation. The police suspected a property dispute to be the reason behind the killing. Two of the accused remained on the run. Keshav’s father, Govind Pal Singh, a retired Irrigation Department employee, had reportedly been in conflict over land issues. 

3. Miles Giffard:

Former English cricketer Miles William Giffard, who played for Cornwall, was involved in murdering his parents. Giffard had a troubled childhood, battling mental health issues from a young age. Despite his privileged background, Miles struggled.

The incident took place in November 1952, when his parents opposed his relationship with 19-year-old Gabrielle Vallance. After being denied use of the family car, Miles, under the influence of alcohol, brutally killed both parents with a lead pipe and discarded their bodies off a cliff. He then fled to London to meet Gabrielle. Despite evidence pointing to schizophrenia, the jury took just 35 minutes to convict him. Miles Giffard was executed in 1953. He never played any international cricket.

2. Navjot Singh Sidhu:

Former cricketer and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu was sentenced to one year imprisonment by the Supreme Court in connection with a 1988 road rage case that led to the death of 65-year-old Gurnam Singh in Patiala. On December 27, 1988, Sidhu and his friend Rupinder Singh Sandhu allegedly assaulted Gurnam Singh following a dispute over their vehicle blocking the road. Singh later died, with a case being filed.

Meanwhile, Sidhu was acquitted in 1999, but the Punjab and Haryana High Court reversed the verdict in 2006, convicting him for being guilty and sentencing him to three years. The Supreme Court, in 2018, reduced the charge to voluntarily causing hurt and fined him INR 1,000. However, following a review petition by Singh’s family, the apex court revisited the sentence and, on May 19, 2022, awarded Sidhu the maximum one-year jail term under Section 323 of the IPC.

1. Shakib Al Hasan:

Bangladesh star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was named among 156 accused in a murder case filed in connection with the death of garment worker Mohammad Rubel during anti-discrimination protests on August 5 in 2024, in Dhaka’s Adabor area. The case, filed by Rubel’s father, alleges that protesters were fired upon following orders from political leaders, including Shakib, then an Awami League MP.

Shakib, however, was in Canada playing in the Global T20 league at the time and had earlier featured in the USA-based Major League Cricket. Despite his alibi, the charges link him as the 28th accused in the FIR. The incident was part of the political unrest in Bangladesh that reportedly claimed over 400 lives.